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Don't do it. Learn to use a proper old single action the way it was supposed to be used. "Load one, skip one." (Then load the rest of the chambers, and when you're done and lower the hammer, it will be on the empty chamber.)

I don't generally clean guns unless I've made them dirty. A gun just sitting in a box is much like a clean pair of socks just sitting in a drawer. If moisture gets to either one you might have problems, but apart from that, it'll be ready when you need it.

Great little gun. I got mine for cheap because it was a rental gun. Ordered new springs, a box, manual, grips and a spare magazine from Kahr, cleaned it up, and it looks and shoots good as new. Better, actually. Getting shot a bunch just broke it in. Haven't found any 9mm it dislikes, had a bunch of different hollowpoints through it.

They're rough, but solid. Good gun to practice your shade tree gunsmithing on. I'd recommend going with something a little more refined for a first 1911 though. A genuine Colt Series 70 is going to be more enjoyable to shoot.

Safety-equipped CZs can be carried cocked & locked, with a consistent single action pull. They can even be converted to single action only, taking the DA capability out completely.

However, if you're going to carry it DA, it's better to get the decocker model, as lowering the hammer manually is an opportunity to slip and fire a round unintentionally.

You will have to learn to handle both a DA and SA trigger pull, and the transition between the two after the first shot. This will take some practice. But then, developing the habit of disengaging the safety every time, even when under stress also takes practice.

Shoot & enjoy it. Spend at least a little of each range session carefully firing every shot on double action (decock after each shot) and then one shot double and two shots single (decock after the third). Remember to focus on your front sight and keep it steady through the pull. You will probably want to ride the reset of the trigger after the first shot, just letting it up enough to reset for the next single action shot. Don't let it all the way up, and don't let your finger bounce off the trigger.

You could not possibly do better for a first handgun. One of the all-time great fighting pistols, and a little wear is not going to affect it at all. As others have said, buy new springs and Mec-Gar magazines. As I will say, buy a holster from Milt Sparks or El Paso Saddlery so you can carry it everywhere in comfort.

A revolver is plenty practical for self defense. Particularly a .357. You will not go wrong with either a GP100 or a SP101. The SP101 will be easier to conceal, the GP100 will be more fun to shoot due to the extra weight and size. (Although the SP101 isn't bad compared to other small revolvers due to its chunky steel construction.) Either will be quite tame with .38s, and will handle very hot loaded .357 when you're ready to move up. In your position, I would get a blued 4" GP100 with adjustable sights.

It's a great rifle, but if you're just going to fuck it up with a bunch of extra shit, leave it for someone who appreciates it for what it is: A perfectly adequate, lightweight, and slick 5.56 thrower for not a lot of money.

"Some people win the lottery, so clearly dumping my retirement fund into scratchers tickets is a good plan."

Not really good at this whole cost/benefit risk/reward concept, are you? We are talking about nearly certain death or long-term imprisonment. If not during the event itself, certainly in the manhunt that would come afterward. All this for what? To avoid a short-term arrest for a misdemeanor, at worst?

Some firearms instructors won't allow that kind of light switch. Under stress, sympathetic response causes people to pull the trigger when they go to illuminate the target. This is why lights should be thumb-activated only. But it's called "Mako" (That's a shark!) and it looks cool. So he threw one on there, without thinking of the other implications. Just like everything else on that rifle.

It's an entry level DW, and I'm sure it's great. If you don't feel you need a beaver tail safety or other "enhanced" features, I'm sure it will compete very nicely with other 1911s in its price range. (RO and SR1911.) I do get hammer bite though, so I will probably not buy one. I already have a Colt 100th Anniversary for historical reasons, and for practical purposes I would have to radius the edge of the hammer, which would require refinishing.

Attempting to "defend yourself" with a knife against multiple gun-toting aggressors is a losing battle. If you really believe that cops are that evil, then you have to know you're going to lose. Which makes this suicide-by-cop.

I highly recommend a NRA basic class. They've got it down to a science. (Full disclosure: I have been a certified instructor in the past, but it's lapsed now, 'cause I only teach informally. But the material is genuinely good, that's why I wanted to go to the effort in the first place.) After that, go to Appleseed, and learn classic USMC rifle technique.

A Polish P64 is a great little concealment pistol. $200 + a spring swap gets you a solid handgun for self defense. The Swiss K31 - currently around $300, but was previously less than $200 - is one of the all-time great bolt actions, in a cartridge capable of taking most game. And you can usually find a used Ithaca 37 Deerslayer for around $300 in reasonable condition.

There's really no reason to buy bad guns when there are so many classic bargains to be had.

It is really cool, but Dan Wesson isn't making them anymore, and when they were it was $1200. These days it's more like $2000 on the secondary market. You'd be better off looking for a S&W 1066. You might be able to find one of those in your budget, and they are also great.

It just works. Jeff Cooper often referred to his "impolite question": What's it for? Unless you can clearly articulate a problem that needs to be solved, and which a new device will solve, it's best to stick with the original, well-tested device. Particularly if it was designed by John Moses Browning.